Drowsy-​Driver Alert

IT CAUSES an estimated 600,000 accidents and 12,000 highway deaths each year in the United States. It is blamed for 40 percent of the fatal crashes in recent years on the New York State Thruway. All this wreckage was caused by driving under the influence, not of drugs or alcohol, but of drowsiness. Some experts believe that the problem is rooted, not in sleep disorders, such as apnea or insomnia, but simply in the 1990’s life-​style. “Americans are more sleep-​deprived than a few years ago,” says Dr. William Dement of the Stanford University Sleep Research Center. Dave Willis, executive director of the American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety, says: “People are just burning the candle at both ends.”

Especially disturbing is the fact that many drowsy drivers drift in and out of sleep without knowing it. A “microsleep,” as experts term it, may last just a few seconds, but the cumulative effects can be frightening. “I’d remember passing exit 17, then seeing signs for exit 21,” relates one driver. “I’d think, where was I for the exits in between? You realize it’s a miracle you even got where you were going.”

The best way to combat driving fatigue is to stop and rest. A 10- to 20-​minute nap in a safe place may be all that is needed. Better yet, be realistic when planning a trip. Don’t try to cover more distance than you can handle. Also, respect your body’s inner clock by avoiding extensive night driving and by getting plenty of rest before starting a trip. Most of all, never underestimate the danger of driving while drowsy. Says Mark Hammer of New York’s Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research: “[It] is just as bad as having five drinks and getting in the car.”